Friday, May 09, 2008

New Liberal Slogan: “Heating bills from hell are on the way”

In week in which it is reported that the poorest Canadians are doing significantly worse then 25 years ago, the Liberal party all but announces its plan to introduce another regressive tax and compensate Canadians by cutting income taxes. Never mind the fact that the poorest Canadians do not pay much in way of income tax as it is, they are in worst position to actually take action to lesser their carbon footprint. Renters, apartment owners and condo owners are not free to undertake home renovations just like that or at all. And those low income earners that do own house are not well positioned finically to undertake major home renovations. Needless to say, low income earners are the most likely to live in the oldest least efficiently heated and cooled dwellings.

Leaving aside the fairness of such a tax shift, why on earth does the brain trust believe a carbon tax with the occupying slogan “Heating bills from hell are on the way” will propel Dion to victory? Sure this is going to boast the Liberals chances in Vancouver. Vancouverites do not use air conditioners and it is just not that cold in winters. Tax cut for me yippie. In other areas of the country it will not be popular and in many it will be greeted with a shrug. The Liberals need to offer Canadians a lot more than a complicated tax shifting plan. Its very complexity will highlight Dion’s major weakness, viz., his inability to effectively communicate. How about some meat and potatoes guys such that the following lament to not take hold? The Liberal party of Canada screwing the poor since 1994.

6 comments:

I don't see how the problem you outline couldn't be easily resolved with a rebates program similar to the GST rebate and other programs designed to ensure consumption taxes do not hit the poor so heavily. You could means test the rebates and ensure those below a certain income level would not be paying any extra out of their pockets. So I think you are over-reacting here.

Let's wait until the official plan is released before engaging in this kind of speculation, one would think the Liberals could anticipate these kinds of criticisms and craft their policies appropriately.

If they can address these issues we already know over 60% of Canadians support a carbon tax and tax shifting in general and we also know the Liberals NEED a solid environmental plan in the next election.

It is indeed too early, but there is no better time then now to air my concerns. But there more to it than playing devil’s advocate. I have always hated Dion’s decision to focus on climate change to the exclusion of almost everything else. However sacrilegious it might be to say so, Canada is one of the few countries that benefit from climate change. As I mentioned in other posts, Canada’s aging population, for example, is far more pressing problem that is climate change. I am also disturbed by the Liberal party’s complete abandonment of universality and its lukewarm commitment to social liberalism.

However sacrilegious it might be to say so, Canada is one of the few countries that benefit from climate change.

Winter would be nicer, longer growing seasons, but there will be some other consequences of drier weather. The prairie provinces are predicted to dry out. The arctic because of the disappearing permafrost is also losing water--lakes have already disappeared because the water has drained into the soil. Ontario will also have a hard time battling the drier states down south from trying to divert water from the Great Lakes, lakes that would also be drying out because of evaporation. General heat-waves. (We had 40C at one point where I lived... at night with no air-conditioning--a little taste of hell. Felt like I was slowly suffocating). Coastal areas will also have to deal with potential flooding. It's been predicted that by 2050, 1% of the world's GDP will be devoted towards dealing with the aftermath of flooding, forest fires, droughts, and heatwaves.

There's also predicted to be population shifts--especially considering that there is predicted to be flooding and drought in countries. Even if Canada remains relatively unchanged, there's going to be an influx of desperate people heading for our border.

And on a minor note--increased CO2 leads to more pollen. Bad for allergies.

As for the aging population--hopefully there will be an immigration and a childcare platform as well (I don't think it's an either/or situation... or hopefully it isn't). With increased childcare programs in Quebec the birth rate increased by 9%.It's no coincidence that Germany with their low birthrate also lags behind the rest of Europe in childcare centres; and France has the second highest rates because of its childcare and maternity leave programs.

>>>>> With increased childcare programs in Quebec the birth rate increased by 9%.It's no coincidence that Germany with their low birthrate also lags behind the rest of Europe in childcare centres; and France has the second highest rates because of its childcare and maternity leave programs.

More childcare is something to strife for. However, the problem is, of course, too far pronounced for it to be reversed by natural means. Canada is far from child friendly and not only are Canadian women of child bearing years not having many children, there are fewer and women of child bearing years as percentage of the population than ever before. Canada is an extremely old country. Italy, Germany, Japan, Belgium are the only countries I know to be older and even then just a little bit older.

>Canada is far from child friendly (understatement of the millennium) and not only are Canadian women of child bearing years not having many children.................................they are allowing butchers hack up 100,000 babies per year.

Do you find this line of reasoning usually works for you? Abortion is a complex issue and I fall somewhere between the two extremes philosophically. By balding implying that every abortion is tantamount to murder, you have altogether lost me. To claim that personhood begins at conception is itself an abortion, a mental abortion.